The Kevitsa deposit in Sodankylä was discovered in 1987. Production at the mine began in 2012. Kevitsa became part of the Boliden Group in June 2016. Boliden Kevitsa is the largest open pit mine in Finland in terms of production volume. The mine’s main products are nickel and copper concentrates, and it also produces significant amounts of platinum, palladium, gold and small amounts of cobalt. The mine’s production includes ore mining, crushing, grinding and enrichment, where valuable metals are separated from the ore. The ore concentrate is delivered to Boliden’s own smelters in Harjavalta and Rönnskär. Production is planned to continue until 2033.
| AAA | |||||||||||||
| AA | |||||||||||||
| A | |||||||||||||
| B | |||||||||||||
| C | |||||||||||||
| Community Outreach | Biodiversity Management | Tailings management | Water management | Climate change management | Mine closure | Occupational health and safety |
| Crisis management preparedness | Internal review | Training and exercises | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crisis Management Planning – Corporate | |||
| Crisis Management Planning – Site |
The main exploration activities of Boliden Kevitsa in 2024 were located in Central Lapland, within the municipalities of Sodankylä, Savukoski, Kittilä, and Pelkosenniemi, as well as in the municipalities of Kiuruvesi, Pyhäjärvi, Leppävirta, Pielavesi, Lapinlahti, Suonenjoki and Kuopio. The areas were primarily explored for nickel, copper, zinc, and platinum group (PGE) metals. The company’s exploration and research methods include deep drilling, bottom moraine and rock debris sampling, geophysical measurements, hammer chip sampling, sampling methods using hand tools (moraine, stream sediments, plants, etc.), and bedrock mapping.
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| Location in a nature reserve* | ||
| Environmental Management System ** | ||
| Environmental impact assessment required (in accordance with the EIA Act) * | ||
| Measurements for dust | ||
| Measurements for noise | ||
| Measurements for vibration | ||
| Environmental risk assessment carried out | ||
| Deviations from environmental permits *** | ||
| Closure plan for the mine | ||
| Plan for the controlled shutdown of the mine in unexpected situations |
| Yes | No | |
|---|---|---|
| Staff initiative system | ||
| Performance appraisals concerning the entire personnel | ||
| Staff training plan | ||
| Equality plan | ||
| Employee representation in company administration | ||
| Occupational health and safety management system* | ||
| Occupational safety card for everyone working in the area | ||
| Own rescue unit |
Mining operations take place over an area of 1,420 hectares within the Oraniemi reindeer herding cooperative’s territory (0.4% of the cooperative’s total area). The mining area is fenced, but reindeer occasionally still wander into the site. The reindeer fence is regularly inspected and maintained by local herders. Any adverse impacts on reindeer herding are compensated financially on an annual basis, in accordance with a written agreement. The municipality, local residents, landowners, professional fishers, environmental organizations, and reindeer herding cooperatives are all considered in the company’s stakeholder engagement efforts. In exploration activities, local service providers are primarily used for subcontracting.
Boliden Kevitsa has assessed that its operations have had an impact on recreational use in the surrounding area, mainly affecting berry picking and hunting. The mining area has previously been, and still is, used for moose hunting. Berry picking is assumed to have decreased in areas directly adjacent to the mining concession. However, the edibility of berries and mushrooms has been confirmed through scientific studies.
Landscape values have been taken into account in the company’s operations. The mine closure plan includes a landscaping plan.
Since 2020, Boliden Kevitsa has had a stakeholder collaboration group that has met regularly four times a year. This continued in 2024 as well.
The topics of the stakeholder cooperation group meetings in 2024 were mining phase 5, mineral exploration, soil extraction, groundwater, water treatment processes, tailings utilization in cover structures, tailings pond management, human rights, water management and water management planning, environmental risk management, as well as the permitting status and the results of annual reporting. A meeting of the YVA monitoring group will also be held in conjunction with the stakeholder collaboration group meetings. In addition, a village evening and a resident survey were organized in August 2024. Also the mine held an open house event in September 2024.
The Boliden stakeholder feedback channel, which can be found on Boliden’s website, helps Kevitsa develop its collaboration with stakeholders. Through the feedback channel external stakeholders have the opportunity to send Kevitsa requests, observations. development proposals and complaints. In 2024, Kevitsa received one (1) contact classified as a complaint through the Boliden stakeholder feedback channel. The contact concerned noise and dust caused by the Kevitsa mine.
In the fifth follow-up study conducted by the University of Lapland in 2025, titled Perceived Impacts of Mining Activities in Sodankylä, the views and experiences of residents living in Sodankylä regarding the mining industry were examined. Based on the survey, it can be concluded that the people of Sodankylä generally have a positive attitude toward both their municipality and the mining sector. Mining is perceived to have had a particularly positive impact on the municipality’s economy, as well as on education, employment, and career opportunities. It has also positively influenced both public and private services. Furthermore, mining has contributed positively to the municipality’s image, local comfort, atmosphere, and the creation of social networks. However, the housing situation in Sodankylä is still considered poor. Although environmental impacts of mining continue to raise concerns, the survey indicates that opportunities for participation and influence have improved.
Boliden Kevitsa has participated in the following research and collaboration projects during 2024, acting as a financier, research subject, and/or member of steering groups:
